“He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons (Mark 3:22 NLT)."

The teachers of religious law once again revealed their desperate attempt to hold onto their power and discredit Jesus with a nonsensical accusation. As Jesus Himself said, "And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive (Mark 3:26 NLT)." It should have been obvious to the elitists that Satan wouldn't use Jesus to attack his own forces, yet that is the lie they used. On the contrary, it would appear that the religious teachers were actually being used by Satan to act selfishly, and their fake spiritual practices served as their cover. I wonder if they even realized that they were the true pawns for evil, becoming tools that would ultimately fail in their master's plot.

Lord, thank You for saving me from my sins through Jesus' death at the hands of the true villains, and for His ultimate victory over the true culprits and our sins with his resurrection. The religious teachers that went after Jesus deserve the harsh judgment they are getting through their deeds being documented in Scripture, yet I know there are times when the evil one seeks to use me too. Please help me realize when this is happening, and please help me to get back to following You instead right away. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

“Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine (Mark 4:21 NLT)."

God wants us to make the world better, and He put a light within each of us that we all shine uniquely. God didn’t empower us with gifts for us to just hide them, but He gave us our own personalized light (gifts/talents) to share for the purpose of glorifying Him, and for touching the lives of those whose darkness can only be illuminated by us.

Thank You Lord for the gifts/talents You have given me - I am grateful for the lamp within that You made just for me. Please help me to shine this light for all to see, please let this light point others to You, and please let it be beneficial for anyone that observes it. Thank You for all of the lights You have given others that have enriched my life as well. You are the greatest Lord, I praise You and I thank You, Amen.

"Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, 'Come and stand in front of everyone.' Then he turned to his critics and asked, 'Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?' But they wouldn’t answer him (Mark 3:3‭-‬4 NLT)."

"At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus (Mark 3:6 NLT)."

It is pretty clear who the real baddies were from reading this story in today's Scripture. The Pharisees wanted to try and get Jesus in trouble for working on the Sabbath, while also having no qualms with utilizing the sin of murder for holding on to their status. I can't imagine God wanting us to follow the Sabbath so rigidly that we ignore someone in need, and I know God would definitely not want someone to plan a murder (especially for selfish reasons) on a day that was meant to be kept holy no less.

Thank You Lord for once again showing me how I should act thanks to Jesus' example, and how to not act thanks to the example of the Pharisees. Please help me to perform life giving activities, and please help me to continue to listen for more of Your lessons as I continue to walk with You and learn from You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

“The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27 NLT)."

"Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath (Mark 3:2 NLT)."

The Pharisees misrepresented the purpose of the Sabbath by trying to get Jesus in trouble when He "worked" on the Sabbath, including healing work he performed on Sabbath days. I believe the purpose of the Sabbath is God calling for us to rest by replenishing our souls, ultimately looking to Him for the credit of refreshing us. Doing things that benefit others that could qualify as work shouldn't be looked at as breaking from that rest, but should be seen for what they are: taking action in ways that replenishes and refreshes our fellow brothers and sisters, which ultimately benefits us too, since God wires us to get refreshed and restored when we help someone. On a humorous side note, the example in Chapter 2 has the Pharisees criticizing Jesus' disciples for breaking off the heads of grain to eat, claiming that they are going against the Sabbath by harvesting grain (Mark 2:23‭-‬24). Yet the Pharisees are also working by being out and about flexing their power by judging, instead of not working like they claim people should be doing on the Sabbath. How about that irony?

Lord, thank You for the gift of the Sabbath, and for continuing to teach me the proper way to perceive and celebrate it. Please help me to honor You not only on my own Sabbath days, but on every day in my walk with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

"This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven (Mark 1:4 NLT)."

I was baptized as a baby in a Catholic church, then once again by choice as a grown up in a Baptist church. I am grateful for both experiences, and I enjoy reflecting on both. I may not personally remember my infant baptism, but I can look at pictures and think about what the priest said about me based on what I heard at other infant baptisms I attended when I was old enough to remember. For my grown up baptism, I remember committing my life to Jesus before the unforgettable sensation of being fullly dunked in water by my pastor while still wearing a muscle shirt and shorts. The biggest thing I realize now, is while these public declarations of the commitment to be raised as a Christian and the grown up commitment to continue that life by choice are great, the relationship I grow with God and the work I do with and for Him post baptism is even greater. I think this is one of the things Isaiah meant when he said “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way (Mark 1:2)."

Thank You Lord for not only my baptisms, but for the perspectives and connections to Scripture You are giving me from them. Please help me to continue to grow in my walk and commitment with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance (Ephesians 1:18 NLT)."

I always considered myself an optimist, but have recently fallen into habits of complaining (both vocally and internally). Per Brian Tome's latest message encouraging optimism, and today's Scripture that reminds us of the confident hope that is ours for the taking if we accept Jesus' work through his death and resurrection, I am feeling inspired to add one more thing to my personal work in progress goals for this new year.

I used to be under the impression that you had to always think positively to be optimistic, and I don't want to be someone that is toxically positive, overlooking things that quite frankly, suck. But per Brian's sermon and Scripture itself, it is promised that we are going to go through suffering and trials, and we shouldn't presume that we won't. The optimistic part is believing that better days are ahead, and that God will be there for us through it all if we keep seeking Him. It gives me incredible peace to be able to acknowledge that some things are just hard and unpleasant, but with the hope for deliverance and the company of Him through the good and bad times, I can face those struggles, and I can embrace the faith that those times will pass, and better times will come.

Thank You Lord for speaking to me through Crossroads Anywhere and Scripture. Thank You for being there for me through my struggles, and for continuing to be there for me in the better days that followed those hardships. Please continue to guide me through stressful situations that are ongoing, and please help me to add "growing in optimism" to my goals of improving my spiritual, creative, family, friendship and work rhythms. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

"Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich (Proverbs 10:4 NLT)."

This verse can certainly apply to money, but it can also hold a deeper meaning. Using work as an opportunity to learn, grow, and benefit others is simply good for our souls. Not giving our best takes away the chance to not only become better versions of ourselves, but also takes away the opportunity to be a blessing for someone that we could have been there for.

Lord, work may be challenging and exhausting, but I see the potential that You are giving me through my work to not only evolve, but also make a difference for those I work with/for. Please utilize me to point to You through any work I do. I wish to not only experience great character development through hard work, but I would also love to make someone's life better through my work. Being able to do this, especially in a way that glorifies You, would make me rich indeed. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

"Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life (Ecclesiastes 5:18 NLT)."

This is a good verse to reflect on post Christmas. I am embarrassed to admit that I regretted not doing all of the Christmas stuff I wanted to do on my list, yet when I really thought and read about it, I realized that it is common to set impossible standards for the perfect holiday season. Now that the 2022 Christmas Day has happened, and all went well for my family and me, I can be happy with all the festivities and traditions that we did enjoy, and I can also soak up some more Christmas fun right now (I like to hold on to the season longer). All of this fits in nicely with the advice from Ecclesiastes 5:18. Instead of overthinking the holidays (and life in general), we are better off enjoying what we can, and accepting what we are able to do in the season we're in.

Thank You Lord for a good Christmas, and for the reminder from Scripture on how to look at some of our expectations, especially the unrealistic ones. Please help me to enjoy the blessings You have given me, and please help me to be a blessing for others too. Thank You for giving us the gift of Your Son, and for opening us up to a relationship with You through Him. Please help me to make more time for You in this coming year Lord, utilizing the methods You taught me to connect with You throughout this past year. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

"'Yes, I know,' Boaz replied. 'But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done (Ruth 2:11‭-‬12 NLT).'"

"And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time (Ruth 2:16 NLT)!"

Ruth's dedication to her mother-in-law Naomi is inspiring, and Boaz's kindness toward Ruth compliments her actions. Besides offering a blessing to Ruth for her sacrifices, he also made sure Ruth was able to gather plenty of food, even having the young men she worked behind drop things on purpose for her to collect. She was also fed well between gathering duties, even having leftovers to bring back. The empathy Boaz offers Ruth is wonderful, and is well worth emulating in our own lives.

Thank You Lord for the inspiring display of kindness in Scripture today. Please help me to grow in my own dedication from Ruth's example, and please help me to grow in kindness and empathy from Boaz's example. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

"I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command. I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people— without seeking a reward! I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken (Isaiah 45:12‭-‬13 NLT)!"

Today's Scripture is a reminder that God not only created everything and can do what He wishes with it, but He can also utilize us to do amazing, restorative things. We can count on His guidance when we aren't certain of the direction we need to go, and I believe He will help us to succeed in the efforts that we make to bless and help others, as this kind of work honors Him and reflects the work He did through Jesus. If we are seeking to bring more light into the world, the Lord will work through us and with us to get it done.

Thank You Lord for the world You have created, thank You for our lives, and for wanting to utilize us to make the lives of others better. I want to benefit others by doing the work You call me to do, and glorifying You is enough of a reward for me. Please show me what I can do to make this happen, and please help me to remember that I can always rely on You for these opportunities. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.